Origin
Lexington Hills, CA
Afternoon in Lexington Hills on Sunday
Local time
12:35 PM
PDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lexington Hills, CA to San Francisco, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 18m
Distance
59.4 mi
96 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$14
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 12m
★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 23m
5 PM
1h 30m
8 PM
1h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lexington Hills, CA
Simon Steiner
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Lexington Hills to San Francisco is 59.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 18 minutes via Bayshore Freeway and West Valley Freeway, with a fuel budget near $14 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward drive primarily on major freeways, connecting two points within California's Pacific Coast region. Expect a highway-focused journey that offers a direct path between your starting point and your destination. It's a short enough trip that allows for flexibility in your departure time, making it ideal for a single-day adventure without feeling rushed.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bayshore Freeway | 30.2 mi | 34m |
| West Valley Freeway | 12.7 mi | 14m |
| Santa Cruz Highway | 6.3 mi | 8m |
| James Lick Freeway | 4.2 mi | 6m |
| Aldercroft Heights Road | 1.2 mi | 3m |
| Central Freeway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Idylwild Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| CA 85 | 0.6 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Bayshore Freeway
— 30.2 mi, about 34m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lexington Hills, CA and San Francisco, CA.
1
Start on Panorama Drive
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
Panorama Drive
2
Turn left onto Locust Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Locust Drive
3
Turn right onto Aldercroft Heights Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Aldercroft Heights Road
4
Continue on Aldercroft Heights Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Aldercroft Heights Road
5
Continue on Old Santa Cruz Highway
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Old Santa Cruz Highway
6
Turn right onto Idylwild Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Idylwild Road
7
Turn right onto CA 17
6.3 mi
·
8 min
·
Santa Cruz Highway
Use the straight lane.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 22
Toward CA 85 North, CA 85 South: Mountain View, Gilroy
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
Toward CA 85 North: Mountain View
Use the slight left lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
Toward CA 85 North: Mountain View
Use the right lane.
11
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
this road
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward CA 85: Mountain View
13
Merge onto CA 85
13 mi
·
14 min
·
West Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on CA 85
0.6 mi
·
40 sec
·
CA 85
Exit 24B
Toward US 101 North: San Francisco
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Merge onto US 101
30 mi
·
34 min
·
Bayshore Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Continue on US 101
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
James Lick Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Continue on US 101
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Freeway
Toward Civic Center, Golden Gate Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Continue on Octavia Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Octavia Boulevard
Exit 434B
Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Turn right onto Market Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Market Street
Use the right lane.
20
Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Market Street
21
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
30 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 29.7 miles from Lexington Hills, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 9.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
CA 17 / Santa Cruz Highway
Turn right onto CA 17 / Santa Cruz Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
8.9 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward CA 85 North, CA 85 South: Mountain View, Gilroy
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 22
Toward CA 85 North, CA 85 South: Mountain View,...
7
9.1 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 85 North: Mountain View
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward CA 85 North: Mountain View
7
9.5 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CA 85 North: Mountain View
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward CA 85 North: Mountain View
5
9.8 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 85: Mountain View
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward CA 85: Mountain View
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.65 one way
$27.31 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $14.07 | $28.14 |
| premium | $6.18 | $14.45 | $28.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.11 | $26.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$14
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.8 | 0 | $6.24 | $2.85 |
| Efficient EV | 14.9 | 0 | $5.20 | $2.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.8 | 0 | $8.32 | $3.80 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
San Francisco, CA
Afternoon in San Francisco on Sunday
Local time
12:35 PM
PDT
Current temp
50°F
Partly Cloudy
WSW 2 to 8 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 17 at 7:10PM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
13 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 18m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 82% of the journey utilizing freeways like the Bayshore Freeway and West Valley Freeway. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 30.2 miles on the Bayshore Freeway, offering a consistent pace for a significant portion of the trip. The Santa Cruz Highway also plays a role, potentially offering a slight change in scenery or road type before you merge back onto the main freeways. Overall, anticipate a driving experience characterized by efficient travel on well-maintained roadways.
82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 30.2 mi on Bayshore Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Bayshore Freeway and West Valley Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 miles in near CA 17 / Santa Cruz Highway.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 59.4 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles (CA 17 / Santa Cruz Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Lexington Hills, CA to San Francisco, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Gilroy along the way.
Gilroy
8.9 mi in
|
~16m
About the Cities
Arriving in San Francisco, CA
Full guide →“Frisco” · Founded 1776
The centerpiece of the Bay Area, San Francisco is one of the most visited cities in the world, and with good reason. The cultural center of northern California, San Francisco is renowned for its mixture of scenic beauty and unique culture that makes it one of the most vibrant and desirable cities in the nation, if not the world. Sandwiched between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean on a small square of land seven miles (11 km) on each side, San Francisco offers a wealth of treasures for the visitor, from the windswept and often foggy bay to the steep hills lined with Victorian homes that overlook the spectacular scenery of the city.
Top landmarks
- • Golden Gate Bridge — suspension bridge on the San Francisco Bay
- • Alcatraz Island — island in San Francisco, California, United States of America
- • San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge — suspension bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland, California, USA
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 18m. Total distance: 59.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 30.2 miles on Bayshore Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at San Francisco, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles (CA 17 / Santa Cruz Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (5 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at San Francisco, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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